With the release of 9 Lives last July, it’s clear that Koe Wetzel has started a new chapter in his music career. Teaming up with Gabe Simon, the producer of Noah Kahan’s breakthrough album, Stick Season, Wetzel delivered a record that deviated from his past projects which have been notably filled with anthems celebrating his now-famous rowdy streaks.
While many appreciated the clear maturity and evolution in his sound and songwriting on 9 Lives, it didn’t come without some fans wanting the “old Koe” back, wishing for a return to the sound on Noise Complaint or Harold Saul High. Though it’s natural for fans to appreciate certain eras of their favorite artists, there’s no denying that watching an artist mature and evolve their sound can be incredibly gratifying from an artistic standpoint (see Eric Church’s brilliant transition from Chief to Mr. Misunderstood for example).
In a recent interview with Spout Podcast, Wetzel opened up about the meaning of 9 Lives and getting more personal with his songwriting throughout the project, clearly being aware of the fact that his fans are growing up with him.
When asked about the personal nature of 9 Lives in comparison to his older records, Wetzel said, “Honestly, it was kind of refreshing for me. Through my twenties, it was all writing to college kids and living that party lifestyle, and I’m really not living that lifestyle anymore. I still get down, and I’ll still throw it down every now and then, but times have changed a little bit.”
This comment also reflects Wetzel’s thoughts on his signature song, “February 28, 2016,” when he said, “I’ve grown up a little bit, and I’ve gotten a little bit wiser, I’d say. The songs that I wrote in college and how I was living my life back then are completely different than how I’m living my life now.” on Bobby Bones’ podcast, Bobby Cast.
Wetzel then went on to explain that he wants his fans to go on the journey with him as he gets older, “I’m getting older. I want my fans to grow with me, and as I’m getting older, I want them to relate to the stuff that I’m going through. And I feel like they’ve kind of caught on to how the writing was so different on ‘9 Lives’ compared to the rest of the records.”
The “Something To Talk About” singer finished up with a tongue-in-cheek explanation of the meaning behind the 9 Lives album, “It was kind of all the different routes I could have went if I hadn’t been playing music, construction worker or preacher maybe, sports. [It’s] kind of all over the place. It was kind of wrapping up my last decade of being a musician and a new chapter of my life.”
I don’t know about y’all, but I wouldn’t miss a service if Koe was bringing some fire and brimstone every Sunday.
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